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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: track · stock · stick · mate · coach · wound · court · pitcher

  1. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  2. The ball is in your ________________.
  3. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  4. He is an ace ________________.
  5. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  6. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  7. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  8. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  9. Have you met the new head ________________?
  10. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  11. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  12. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  13. Have you found your soul ________________?
  14. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  15. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  16. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  17. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  18. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  19. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  20. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  21. The ________________ market has crashed.
  22. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  23. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  24. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. court — for sport
  3. court — of a king
  4. pitcher — in baseball
  5. court — of law
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. stock — a soup base
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. mate — to breed
  11. wound — an injury
  12. stock — goods
  13. mate — a partner
  14. track — a song
  15. stick — to attach or keep to
  16. wound — past of 'wind'
  17. track — to keep track
  18. mate — a friend
  19. coach — pulled by horses
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. stock — shares
  22. wound — an injury
  23. track — a path
  24. stick — a piece of wood

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com